Safety device for trenches and the like



Oct. 7, 1969 A. J. cox 3,470,699

SAFETY DEVICE FOR TRENCHES AND THE LIKE Filed May 16, 1968 2 Sheetlhmt 1 Oct. 7, 1969 A, J, COX 3,470,699

SAFETY DEVICE FOR TRENCHES AND THB LIKE Filed Bay 16, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 uws/v ron.

7M f5 i United States Patent O 3,470,699 SAFETY DEVICE FOR TRENCHES AND THE LIKE Andrew J. Cox, R.F.D. 1, Box S80-A, Bluefield, Va. 24605 Filed May 16, 1968, Ser. No. 729,706 Int. Cl. E21b 5/06 U.S. Cl. 61-41 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety device for trenches in which there are brackets supported by braces, the braces being adjustable in lengths and the brackets being adjustable and of a channel construction so that they will t within the sides of a trench, and in which there is an A-frame pivotally mounted from the upper ends of the channels, the A-trame being under tension by a spring to keep the tension on the adjustable braces and the hydraulic cylinder under suilicient tension, and to keep the apparatus forming the safety device from spreading under its own weight.

The present invention relates to safety devices for ditch digging and for trenches, and the like, so that brackets, adjustable braces, hydraulic or air cylinders or other cylinder types can be used to support the walls of the trenches from each other and to provide a spring to keep the tension on the cylinder while the side bars, channels and brackets are applied to the walls of the trench.

The apparatus of the invention is constructed for providing apparatus for saving lives in connection with excavating work, digging of ditches, trench construction, and particularly pertaining to the digging of cable lines, pipelines -and other forms oditches.

The primary purpose of the apparatus of the invention is to prevent caving or collapsing of the walls of the ditch or trench and thus prevent injury to human life and results in the saving of such human life.

An object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable and varying sized construction of 'apparatus from various and selected materials depending upon the requirements of the apparatus, so that the walls of trenches are prevented from caving or collapsing.

It is also within the purview of the invention to provide apparatus that prevents anything from falling over or through the top of a trench by means of the A-frame and other construction formed by the present apparatus yof the invention, and also to provide collapsible structures adapted for removing with ease the apparatus from the ditch or trench.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a cross-sectional view in elevation showing the details and components of apparatus that forms the safety devices for trenches in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse and partially crosssection'al view of the invention embodiment in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the manner in which the adjustable braces lit into niches in the bracket forming the vertical components of the safety apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a trench having sidewalls 10, 12 and in which there is disposed along each of the vertical walls 10, 12 one of a pair of upstanding U-shaped channels 14, 16 and in which the base of the U-shaped channel of each of the pairs is disposed outwardly from the other channel of said respective pairs. This is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

3,470,699 Patented Oct. 7, 1969 At the top of each of the channels is a mounting connection or hinge pin receptacle 20 for a hinge pin 22, the receptacle being fixed to the channels 14 or 16 by welding or other means. The hinge pin 22 extends through correspondingly aligned hinge pin receptacles so that the hinge pin relates the upstanding corresponding channels 14 or 16 in a selected array.

Disposed parallel to the hinge pin 22 are structural members 24, 26 for maintaining the material forming the trench 10, 12 in their relative positions and from fallin g within the trench.

The structural members `also constitute structural bridge members 28, 28 and are seen to be secured by welding between adjacent ones `of channel 16, 16.

There is an elbow support member peripherally or circumscribed about the hinge pin so that the support member 30, 32 has its upper end secured rigidly toa removable top plate 34, 36 and in which the lower or free end of the elbow support member 30, 32 may be selectively secured by a pin-hold arrangement 40, 42, 44 to an upper portion of the associated channel, and thus keep the safety device from spreading while in use.

Between adjacent pairs of the elbow support members 30, 32 there is a cylinder `means 48 having its opposite ends 50, 52 pivot-ally secured and connected to one of a pair of said elbow support members 30, 32, respectively, and in which there is also in generally parallel relation similarly connected as the cylinder means a spring 56 connected to one of a pair of removable top plates 34, 36, respectivelyl The proximate ends of the removable top plates 34, 36 may be connected by hinged means 58 which form at their juncture. This may be a pivot or hinge connection similar to hinge means 20, 22, as is illustrated.

Disposed along the intermediate and. lower ends of each of the channels 14, 16 there is provided brackets or bracket receiving means 60, 62, as shown in each of the figures, for receiving ends 64 of a telescopically adjustable brace 66 (see FIG. 3). There is also provided means for adjusting the telescopic relation or the adjustable brace `66 into a lixed or selected position by bolts 70 positioned along pinholes 72 in a manner well known in the art. By means of providing adjustable brackets 62, the adjustable braces 66 can be raised or lowered into any of selected ones of said pairs of brackets 60, 62 So that other areas of the trench can be utilized as desired.

The spring 56 is seen to be provided for maintaining tension on the cylinder 48 and to keep the safety device from spreading -along the trench under its own weight.

The holes and pin arrangements 40, 42, 44 are used to pin the channels 14, 16 forming the legs of the safety device when they are in a drawn in position or otherwise desired to provide adjustment thereof.

The cylinder 48, of course, may be a hydraulic type jack with uid connections 80, 82 or 'may be, as well known in the art, an air or uid jack and in the alternative may be as electric type or other mechanical conguration of cylinder and piston arrangement well known in the art.

Additional embodiments of the invention in this specitication will occur to others and therefore it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claims and not by the embodiment described hereinabove. Accordingly, reference should be m-ade to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A safety device for trenches and the like comprising a plurality of pairs of upstanding U-shaped channels with the base of each one of the pairs of U-shaped channels disposed outwardly from the other channel of said pair, a hinge pin receptacle at the upper end of each of said channels, a hinge pin extending through the hinge pin receptacle connecting corresponding ones thereof, structural members extending parallel to the hinge pin and secured between adjacent ones of the channels, an elbow support member circumscribed about each hinge pin having one end secured to each of a pair of removable top plates and said plates covering said trench opening and having the other end of the elbow member selectively secured by a pin means to an upper location of the channel to keep the safety device from spreading, cylinder means having its opposite ends connected to each of the elbow members, a spring connected at its ends to each of the pair of removable top plates on the same side of 4said plates as the cylinder means, brackets mounted on corresponding portions of said pairs of said channels, and adjustable braces telescopically arranged for their ends to be received in mating relation to said brackets,

3. The invention according to claim -1 wherein the adjustable braces are fixed in a selected position by bolts positioned in pin holes.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said pairs of removable top plates are hinged together at their juncture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,866,320 l2/1958 BazZell `61-41 3,224,201 l2/ 1965 Brunton 61-41 JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

